Big Change

To the Editor,

I am greatly disappointed with you. My spouse and I read
on Thursday about how you covered your building with pennies and
knew we had to see it ("Pennies For Our Thoughts," Tucson
Weekly, March 14). Not knowing how long it would be in that
state, we went across town on Saturday to view your building.
We live on the eastside, so this was a special trip. We were very
upset to discover the building was already cleaned up and not
a penny to be found.

Nowhere in your article was it implied, stated or alluded to
that the pennies would not be on display for at least a week.
I felt very letdown. This action was worthy of those you criticize
in The Skinny--deceitful or at the very least misleading.

--Mrs. Ron Larson

Editor's note: Our apologies to everyone who didn't
get a chance to see our spectacular penny-coated headquarters.
Unfortunately, some troublesome cranks in our neighborhood association
were not nearly as happy with the project as we were, and complained
the half-million coins were not in keeping with the "historic
nature" of our 'hood. After they made a complaint down at
City Hall, we learned--get this--we needed some permit-in-triplicate
to cover our building with pennies. Boy, talk about Big Brother!

Anyway, the City Council had some "executive session
emergency meeting" and ordered the coins stripped immediately.
While we reluctantly went along with their order, we've also been
in touch with our attorneys, and we can promise you this: We will
fight City Hall and, one day, the pennies will rise again!

Smoked

To the Editor,

I have never liked or understood why you run phone sex
ads and support their contribution to emotional dissociation and
psychological abuse. And then I pick up the latest Weekly
and out falls a shiny little packet of cigarette advertising.

You present yourself as a principled newspaper, shining a
light into dark corporate corners. It's time to practice your
own principles. If you sell space to phone-sex bucket shops or
Joe Camel, how different is that really from county supervisors
rolling over for SAHBA or congressmen talking dirty for PAC money?

Maybe you need a more aggressive and discriminating ad manager.
Maybe you need to ask your readers for donations. When you first
started running your "Cum Stick It In Me" section, I
called to object and was told such income makes a real difference
to draw the paper's survival; if it truly does, maybe it's time
to the line at relying on cellular hookers and peddlers of legal
dope to keep on printing weekly outbursts of moral superiority.

--Hallaj Bowman

To the Editor,

I find it absolutely amazing that the Tucson Weekly, which
takes such a high moral ground with regard to local and state
politicians, developers who scar the earth, and much else that
is not right with society, agreed to not only run an ad for Camel
cigarettes that research has shown is highly recognizable by children,
but also included a fancy Camel drop-out ad that promotes cigarette
use. Oddly enough, I came across this ad at a health-care facility.

Sure, tobacco is legal (at least to those over 17), but we know
that almost everyone who becomes addicted to nicotine does so
before the age of 18. We also know that tobacco use (addiction)
results in more premature death than alcohol, heroin, cocaine,
and AIDS combined!

With over 400,000 premature deaths per year in the U.S. alone
due to tobacco, it is time for The Weekly to decide: Are
you part of the solution or part of the problem?

--Scott J. Leischow

Sounding Off

To the Editor,

Regarding "Airwave Fave" (Tucson Weekly, March
7): I am an older radio listener who really liked the ECHO. I
pass through Tucson about 10 times a year and even had them programmed
into my car radio. But the new format sucks. It seems radio everywhere
is the same: Greedy station owners keep changing the format to
gain new listeners.

I don't blame them for trying to make a buck, but I think they
are all missing a very important fact: Many radio listeners are
not bubble gummers, dopers, teeny boppers or gang-bangers. Some
of us are over 40 (hard to believe) and grew up with radio, not
Nintendo. Many of us do not listen to elevator music. The ECHO
sure gave me an eclectic mix of new stuff, classic rock, reggae,
and sometimes even folk. Surely I wasn't the only listener. Bring
back good radio--please.

--Marvin Kemel

Loose Cannon

To the Editor,

I love the pulp you folks put out every week. Keep up the exceptional
job!

I would like to see more music reviews from you because I'm not
sure I trust some joker at Rolling Stone for their impression
of a band.

The Skinny kicks ass! It reminds me of your Phoenix cousin New
Times when it was a better paper (not that I've had a chance
to read it recently). All of your writers are informative and
rambunctious.

Lastly, get that bum Max Cannon and his secret files out of this
small town paper and into mass syndication elsewhere. That guy
should be locked up and have his psyche examined. (Between you
and me, I like the bugger, but I'm afraid "they" might
find out and put me in the same cell with the demented genius.)
He should be making millions exploiting his disturbingly humorous
strip.

--Joe Vazquez

Editor's note: Red Meatheads, rejoice! Details are sketchy,
but rumor has it Max Cannon has signed a deal with the enigmatic
Black Springs Books to publish 100 prime slices of "Red Meat."
in handsome book form this spring.